New Ulm weekly review., 1887-12-21
8 H(y EIRCUsIS RNN.
- seGsnsr ! ~ 81 the Show eluAyine Shs
Rout - Army Of Employes

1l1e sfG0NAH4Es 0H the Sh0W--A&QAy y1MS Me
zoute Of Employees
From the New York Herald.
Each circus has It's general. Talk to
him Of any city. or town in the coun,
trv, and the thought immediately oc,
sssto him: & s'-Ah, yes; . town Of $2,-s
900, So, 900, SO, 900 or sl2, 900, as
the case may be, profit" He knows
almost to unit the population and
how much can be made out OF it. He
knows also the character of the inhahl-
tants, and he is acquainted thorough
" with the railroad and other faCH
ties for getting into the place. HemapS
out the route at the beginning OF the
season, of course changing it as much
as possible every year. There are
twenty four advance agents, who
follow each other IN regular ro
tation- They look after tho ad-
vertising, the provender for tho am
mails, the lodgings, and contracts OF
various kinds. These agents are pro
vided with checks. They gives checks
on the show for the amounts con-
tracted for. The treasurer takes up
and pays the checks SO that when the
show arrives it has no tt ouble In any
direction. 1t has happened few
times that the firm has been swndled,
but it never refuses to honor q check,
sto keep up the credit Of the circns- =
Not one of the great exchanges IN New
York is better posted as to the none
tary condition of any town OF city
than the emanagers of the circus. The
circus managers well know it is useless
going into a place where there is much
commercial depression. The character
istics of a town are studied before go-
ing into it. For instance, it is known
when the miners Of Pittsburg are paid
of, and right on top ofthe event, comes
the 'sshoW." It very rarely happens
that miscalculatio is made, but ii
money is lost anywhere. that place is
given q wide berth next season.
The weather too,, is watched almost
as carefully as it is by the, signal service
bureau. The circus never goes farther
south that Omaha, Kansas. City and
St. LOUIS. or farther north than. ST.
Paul, Mlnn.. There is no, money OUT
side of those limits. The great aim OF
the circus, is to strike fair weather
everywhere: When it is extremely cold
IN the north the circus is enjoying the
warmth Of the south and. the dollars
ofthe genial southerners. Whenit be-
wends it's way in the opposite direction.
Moreover, 1t never attempts to COM
pete with cheaper entertainment. II
Barnum is billed for Maryyille, Miss,
and 25 cent show gets ahead of it the
big CIRCUS passes on. The general
knows, too, how long it is profitable
tostay in town.
The army OF employees is: divided
into five divisions-the performers, the
ring attendants, the stable and menag-
erie attendants, the trainmen lin cir
GUS :parlance "razor-backs'; and the.
canvasmen: The eanvasmen number
200 out of 7OO-a large number, but
not too many to cope with the huge
tent which is put up in. the country.
Ontthe trains there is a special place.
for everything and everybody. Indeed,
the trainmen could load the train al
most blindfolded, the arrangements are
SO precise, and have been so long IN
woodworking order. The canvas
men are the first to, be, packed off,.
They touchnothingu untilthe teamsters.
have arrived on the ground with the /,
canvas, and then, when the tent is up,
they sit down and just watch the others
''doing their bit" SOFT is with the
trainmen when they haveloaded or un-
loaded the cars they willnot put ahand
to anything else, and perhaps if they
did they would be only in the way.
Every employe has a special duty to
nerforn and does not concidn an hi,ncaIf.
engaged for anything outside of that.